Timothy T. Duax U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa
Andrew Gross, a 42-year-old resident of Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced to ten years in federal prison on January 16, 2026, after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography. The sentencing took place in federal court in Sioux City.
According to evidence presented during the plea and sentencing hearings, the Sioux City Police began investigating Gross after receiving a report from the parents of a 15-year-old. The parents reported that Gross had been having sexually explicit conversations with their child. Further investigation revealed that these conversations included sexually explicit messages and photographs involving the minor.
Authorities determined that between April 1 and May 14, 2024, Gross received child pornography. Investigators also found thousands of images and videos containing child pornography on his cell phone. In addition to these offenses, it was noted that Gross had previously been convicted in Minnesota in 2021 for crimes related to aggravated sexual abuse involving a minor.
United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand imposed a sentence of 120 months’ imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release. Federal law does not allow for parole. Gross was also ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution to victims and an additional $1,100 in fines and assessments. He remains in custody with the United States Marshal pending transfer to a federal prison.
